Zac, diagnosed with
leukemia, has been through the treatment mill. They're trying a bone
marrow transplant, but the odds aren't wonderful. He's been virtually
alone in his room for five weeks save for his mother and the nurses. Now an angry
girl who plays loud music moves into the room behind his. At first he
thinks her music will drive him crazy, but gradually they make
contact and become friends.
The characters are
very different. Zac is a farm boy. His life used to be spent mostly
out of doors, and he misses it. Mia is a popular girl. She wants to
have all the things teenagers have including going to the formal
later in the year. She doesn't want cancer to disrupt her life. My
problem with the characters is that Zac is almost too good, calmly
putting up with his therapy in hopes of a remission. Mia is almost
too angry. She has the best chance of leading a normal life, the
she's so angry she pushes people away. Actually, it's understandable.
People become angry when they're frightened.
The story moves
slowly. It is the unfolding of a friendship under adverse
circumstances, but unless the characters hold your attention, it's
easy to put the book down. The parents are characters in the book,
but we don't really get to know them. I thought their responses could
have played a larger role. Zac's mother is amazing. She's there for
him everyday, and although he
sometimes resents it, he knows he's
lucky to have her. Mia's mother is single. She and Mia do not get
along, but at least she's there and makes the hard decisions. Both
kids seems lucky in their parents.
I liked the idea of
this book, but reading it showed the problems with the characters and
the plot. If you're interested in this very difficult situation for
teens, you'll want to read this book. It is well researched, in fact,
I believe it's based on the author's experiences. If you're looking
for a romance, this isn't it. The plot is a slowly developing, but
beautiful friendship.
I reviewed this book
for Net Galley.
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